Posts
The Sienese Jacopo della Quercia entered the famous competition for the doors of the Florentine babtistery, but his design, which has not been preserved, was rejected as it was not judged to be delicate enough.
In effect, della Quercia's style is characterised by a certain contempt for detail, the natural counterpart of a vigour and a feeling for grandeur which has caused it to be said taht he was the 'herald of Michelangelo'.
The tomb of Ilaria del Carretto was his first great work and assured him a very great reputation during his lifetime.
On a sacrophagus decorated in the very latest style with 'putty' freely borrowed from the classical tradition, lies the poignantly serene figure of a woman, Gothic in conception.
Ilaria's head rests on cushions, her feet on a dog, the sybmol of conjugal fidelity.
Only the beauty of the figure saved it from destruction when the tomb was taken from the church by the people in revolt, on the death of the tyrant whose wife she was.
No comments:
Post a Comment